While I loved most of it, I had a different take on some points and are as follows -
- if the word "renunciation" irks us, that itself should be pondered upon. To me, that is indicative of our attachment, and we don't like that very facet being hit upon.
- The difference b/w how renunciation is presented by monks of RK Math (external & internal renunciation) vs Ramana (internal). For many of us, internal becomes a more tangible effort with some external renunciation (akin to "don't keep tamarind and water in a typhoid patient's room"). And that's because our strength of mind and willpower is not well-developed, and the risk of becoming hypocrite while trying to adopt internal renunciation alone at the beginning is quite high. So, depending on the place that we are situated in life, it's best to adopt internal renunciation coupled with as much external renunciation as conscientiously feasible so as to ensure we are staying honest to our practice.
First of all, thank you for taking the time to put this comment. I understand this is coming from a genuine seeker - thus I will do my utmost to answer them carefully and sensitively - fully understanding the unsettling parts from my post.
1. Renunciation is a tool and not the goal. The goal is "Knowledge of Brahman". Renunciation helps to achieve it - no doubt. But apart from that, it is useless. Harping on renunciation gives the impetus that it is the goal. And that is a serious mistake in my view. Rather, the enemy is ignorance, and to fight against it, a seeker has to employ both spiritual enquiry(Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana), meditation, daily-practice of concentration, a well-guided life where one is executing their slated responsibilities to their best of abilities etc.
2. I completely agree! This is exact to what I myself think and believe. But again, the goal is not a practice. There is a definite end of practice too. And that is BrahmaJnana coupled with a cessation of desires. As long as the ideal is clear, how you employ your life to reach there is best understood by the seeker themselves. I go into gory details on the various stages a seeker has to go in my next post based on Swami Vivekananda: https://abhijeetkislay.substack.com/p/deifying-desire. Whether a monastic or a lay-seeker - everyone has to fight the battle themselves on their own life's battleground.
While I loved most of it, I had a different take on some points and are as follows -
- if the word "renunciation" irks us, that itself should be pondered upon. To me, that is indicative of our attachment, and we don't like that very facet being hit upon.
- The difference b/w how renunciation is presented by monks of RK Math (external & internal renunciation) vs Ramana (internal). For many of us, internal becomes a more tangible effort with some external renunciation (akin to "don't keep tamarind and water in a typhoid patient's room"). And that's because our strength of mind and willpower is not well-developed, and the risk of becoming hypocrite while trying to adopt internal renunciation alone at the beginning is quite high. So, depending on the place that we are situated in life, it's best to adopt internal renunciation coupled with as much external renunciation as conscientiously feasible so as to ensure we are staying honest to our practice.
First of all, thank you for taking the time to put this comment. I understand this is coming from a genuine seeker - thus I will do my utmost to answer them carefully and sensitively - fully understanding the unsettling parts from my post.
1. Renunciation is a tool and not the goal. The goal is "Knowledge of Brahman". Renunciation helps to achieve it - no doubt. But apart from that, it is useless. Harping on renunciation gives the impetus that it is the goal. And that is a serious mistake in my view. Rather, the enemy is ignorance, and to fight against it, a seeker has to employ both spiritual enquiry(Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana), meditation, daily-practice of concentration, a well-guided life where one is executing their slated responsibilities to their best of abilities etc.
2. I completely agree! This is exact to what I myself think and believe. But again, the goal is not a practice. There is a definite end of practice too. And that is BrahmaJnana coupled with a cessation of desires. As long as the ideal is clear, how you employ your life to reach there is best understood by the seeker themselves. I go into gory details on the various stages a seeker has to go in my next post based on Swami Vivekananda: https://abhijeetkislay.substack.com/p/deifying-desire. Whether a monastic or a lay-seeker - everyone has to fight the battle themselves on their own life's battleground.